A Strongsville man fetched a shotgun and killed his wife in a restaurant gift shop Thursday after she told him during a birthday dinner for one of their daughters that she was leaving him.

Kevin Allen, 51, then hunted down his 10-year-old daughters in a restroom, killing Kerri on her birthday with one blast to her belly and critically injuring Kayla, a source familiar with the investigation said Friday.

Minutes later, police officers from this Cleveland suburb confronted the still-armed Allen in the restaurant doorway and killed him with a barrage of gunfire. No other patrons or employees were injured.

Police arrived at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store about 8:40 p.m., as Katie Allen was talking to a 9-1-1 dispatcher, reporting that her husband was circling the parking lot, according to a recording of the call.

Shooting at Cracker Barrel in Brooklyn

Listen to the 9-1-1 emergency call placed on Thursday night from inside the restaurant located on Tiedeman Rd.

"I'm having some spouse problems," Katie Allen, 42, told a dispatcher. "I told him that I was leaving him."

What remained unclear Friday was whether officers arrived after Allen had already entered the restaurant with the shotgun. Police Chief Scott Mielke did respond to requests for clarification.

As of Friday afternoon, Kayla was listed in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. Neither police nor hospital officials would disclose the nature of her injuries. Kayla is 10 months older than her sister.

Two days before the shootings, on Tuesday, Katie Allen reported to Strongsville police that she and her husband had been arguing. In a police report, she stated that she and the girls and had left their Shurmer Road home on Sunday and were staying with a friend.

She also told police that her husband had threatened to keep the girls if she returned to the house to collect her belongings.

Court records show that Kevin Allen had a history of domestic violence dating to previous marriages. Records show he had been divorced at least three times. He was convicted of domestic violence and menacing in two separate cases in 1995.

He and Katie Allen were together since 2000, according to his Facebook page. They and their daughters had lived since 2007 in a sky-blue ranch house that had belonged to her parents.

On Friday morning, no one answered the door at the house. A Confederate flag hung in the back yard. A trampoline rusted on the front lawn. A basketball hoop stood on the driveway, not far from a Kansas City Chiefs sign.

Neighbors described Allen as quiet and his wife as more outgoing.

"She was real nice and friendly," said Irene Bendzuck, who has lived across the street for more than two decades. "He was always kind of weird."

Bendzuck recalled occasionally babysitting for the girls.

"They would laugh and giggle and dance," she said.

Neighbors said Katie Allen was severely injured in a car accident years ago and spent months recuperating. Her husband had prostate cancer, according to his Facebook page.

Last August, the coupe filed for bankruptcy, listing $169,000 in debt, including $20,000 in hospital bills. Kevin Allen worked for RWK Services, a commercial cleaning company, according to the bankruptcy filing. The couple earned about $62,000 together in 2010.

In February, when three students were shot to death at Chardon High School and a teen was arrested, Kevin Allen posted a comment on his Facebook page.

"Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the wounded and killed students at Chardon High School. And also to the family of the shooter, who must be going through a horrible time dealing with what their son has done."

On Friday afternoon, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner released details of the autopsies of Allen and his wife. He died of multiple gunshot wounds. His wife died of shotgun wounds to the head and torso.

Kevin Allen's family lives in Kansas City, Mo. His brother, David, said on Friday the family was flying to Cleveland today to make arrangements. In a statement released through MetroHealth, the family asked for privacy.

Cracker Barrel released a statement, too.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and the family of those killed and injured in this tragic incident," it said.

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